The much anticipated 2023 SAFF Championship is set to take place in Bangalore, India from 21st June. The Pakistan Football team has been placed alongside arch-rivals India, Kuwait, and Nepal in Group A of the competition. Before that, the Shaheens are scheduled to travel to Mauritius to feature in the 4-Nations Cup 2023. But unfortunately, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is still waiting for NOC from PSB (Pakistan Sports Board) to participate in both competitions.
What’s the issue surrounding the NOC?
Before going on any international tour all sports federations are supposed to acquire a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the PSB. Likewise, the PFF reached out to PSB to obtain NOC for the national team’s tour of Mauritius and India.
The 4 Nations Cup 2023 begins in Mauritius on 11th June, but PFF is yet to receive the NOC from PSB. As things stand, it seems like the Shaheens will not be able to feature in both competitions.
Given the uncertain situation, the PFF shared a video on its official Twitter account. In this video, the players could be seen pleading to the PSB to grant them the NOC so they may be able to participate in both competitions.
In response to the request of players, the PSB tweeted that all federations are required to file for NOC four to six weeks before participation in the event. They stated that the PFF not only filed the NOC documents late but also these documents were submitted with incomplete information.
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Why are the 4 Nations Cup and SAFF Championship so important for Pakistan Football Team?
This is a crucial year for the Pakistan football team as they are scheduled to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in October. The Shaheens have never made it past the first round in their history. If they wish to do well in these qualifiers it is vital that they play as many games as possible before that.
The 4 Nations Cup and the SAFF Championship are ideal for the players to get some game time under their belts, as the majority of them lack international exposure. These competitions will also help the coaching staff to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their players, so they may be able to train and guide them about their weak points.
This would also give the opportunity to the national team’s head coach, Shehzad Anwar, to try different tactics and formations and deduce a potent game plan that suits the mentality and physicality of his players.
During this competition, a great number of foreign-based players are expected to be part of the squad. Their presence will not only strengthen the Shaheens, but it will also allow the homegrown players to learn from their overseas counterparts.
They have missed out on plenty of international tournaments in the past due to third-party interference and the subsequent FIFA bans. And finally, when it seems that things are heading in the right direction, NOC issues like these pose a great threat to the growth of Pakistani football. If such issues are not resolved in a timely manner Shaheen’s chances of making it past the first round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers are going to be very slim.
